Sunday, 21 December 2014

Claire Cain Miller, The New York Times: A machine that administers sedatives recently began treating patients at a Seattle hospital. At a Silicon Valley hotel, a bellhop robot delivers items to people’s rooms. Last spring, a software algorithm wrote a breaking news article about an earthquake that The Los Angeles Times published. Although fears that […]

Friday, 19 December 2014

It is challenging to collect accurate data about customer experience – often customers tell interviewers what they think the researcher wants to hear. MIT has worked on a new way to help companies understand those ever-so-important emotions in more objective and accurate ways. With the MOXO sensor we measured customers’ emotional reactions from their psychophysiology. […]

It is challenging to collect accurate data about customer experience – often customers tell interviewers what they think the researcher wants to hear. MIT has worked on a new way to help companies understand those ever-so-important emotions in more objective and accurate ways.

With the MOXO sensor we measured customers’ emotional reactions from their psychophysiology. Two electrodes on the…

Wednesday, 17 December 2014

The brief was simple: build a tech product for low-income American households. It wasn’t simple at all. Ciara Byrne, Writer for FastCompany: To some extent technology has failed low-income Americans too. Developers don’t build apps for them. Growth hackers ignore them. At Significance Labs, I learned a lot about how low-income Americans live and use […]

Monday, 15 December 2014

Neuroscience research has been constrained by the cables required to connect brain sensors to computers for analysis. Now there’s a wireless alternative. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] In a study in the journal Neuron, scientists describe a new high data-rate, low-power wireless brain sensor. The technology is designed to enable neuroscience research that cannot be accomplished […]

Sunday, 14 December 2014

A study following teens who had summer jobs found violent crime in that population almost cut in half, during and following the employment. Cynthia Graber reports for Scientific American: Violence is more than a criminal problem. It’s also a public health issue. More than 6,000 people are injured annually due to violence, mostly young people […]

Friday, 12 December 2014

Mark Kinver, Environment reporter, BBC News: A global scientific research programme has been launched in China to examine the unintended consequences of urban policies on human health and wellbeing. The Urban Health & Wellbeing Programme aims to better understand what makes a “healthy urban environment”. The launch of the programme comes amid a growing body […]

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

Dr. Joel Kahn, Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine and Director of Cardiac Wellness, Michigan Healthcare Professionals PC, lists 11 benefits of smiling that can improve your health and life success: Smiling reduces stress and anxiety. Smiling releases the “feel-good” hormones called endorphins from your brain. Smiling helps control pain. […]

Monday, 8 December 2014

In this free Alison online business course, you will get an insight into the business model used in SlideShare, a digital media company based in Silicon Valley. Jonathan Boutelle and Rashmi Sinha from SlideShare discuss the learning curve that was needed in order for them to implement their strategies and achieve their goals so that […]

Thursday, 4 December 2014

The World Post: They survived Ebola, but their ordeal is far from over. French photographer Livia Saavedra travelled to the Guinean capital Conakry in October to document Ebola survivors who have returned to their communities. Some have lost family to the disease, others no longer have jobs or face rejection from their community. “The stigma […]

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the medical benefits of cannabis, and most recently attention has turned to its benefits for PTSD sufferers. Carolyn Gregoire, Senior Writer at the Huffington Post: More than 5 million people suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) annually, and new research suggests that cannabis may […]

Monday, 24 November 2014

The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine Press Release: The brain’s ability to effectively deal with stress or to lack that ability and be more susceptible to depression, depends on a single protein type in each person’s brain, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai […]

Saturday, 22 November 2014

by Dean Takahashi Nancy MacIntyre has been flying around the globe sealing partnerships for Fingerprint Digital, which has created a platform on smartphones and tablets for educational games. That’s her thanks for addressing a tough problem: How to raise the spotlight for educational mobile games. Discovery is the hardest problem for educational game creators to […]

Friday, 21 November 2014

Michael Hailu: We are all too familiar with the challenges that face agriculture. The average age of a farmer in the developing world is 55-60 years. Young people are less attracted to agriculture, which they perceive as backward and unrewarding, often looking to other sectors for their careers. However, ICTs are proving to be a […]

Friday, 17 October 2014

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) was first developed as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease to reduce tremor, stiffness, walking problems and uncontrollable movements. Earlier this month, Drs. Alim Louis Benabid of the Academy of Science in France…

Saturday, 26 July 2014

Getting greater traction for your business is all about content marketing these days. And that means lots of sharing on social networks. But the problem for small businesses is that their own social networks can be rather small. So how can you get a greater reach and a greater audience for your content – and hence for your business?

Tuesday, 3 June 2014

Into the light came the darkest mystery of the mind as investigators from the University of California literally peered into the brain with a flashlight. As suspected, the brain’s capacity for forming memory is as simple as the connectivity strength among groups of neurons in a phenomenon called long-term potentiation (LTP), study leader Roberto Malinow […]

Into the light came the darkest mystery of the mind as investigators from the University of California literally peered into the brain with a flashlight. As suspected, the brain’s capacity for forming memory is as simple as the connectivity strength among groups of neurons in a phenomenon called long-term potentiation (LTP), study leader Roberto Malinow […]

Saturday, 31 May 2014

Budget launches in Australia generally attract praise and condemnation, depending on which side of politics the commentators are from. Only rarely is a budget almost universally condemned by the public – but this has happened with the first budget of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s right-wing government. So unpopular has the government become as a result […]

Budget launches in Australia generally attract praise and condemnation, depending on which side of politics the commentators are from. Only rarely is a budget almost universally condemned by the public – but this has happened with the first budget of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s right-wing government. So unpopular has the government become as a result […]

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

By using an advanced microscopy technique, researchers have collected the most precise measurements to date of DNA’s tangled structure. Their results showed significant variations to the well-known double helix — variations that are offering fresh insights into the inner workings of this life-bearing molecule. This was a collaborative project by researchers from the National Physical […]

By using an advanced microscopy technique, researchers have collected the most precise measurements to date of DNA’s tangled structure. Their results showed significant variations to the well-known double helix — variations that are offering fresh insights into the inner workings of this life-bearing molecule. This was a collaborative project by researchers from the National Physical […]

Thursday, 22 May 2014

The University of Namibia has admitted its first batch of students into a new masters degree programme in gender and development studies, kindling hope of new solutions to gender-related problems that include violence in which scores of women have been murdered. The degree follows three years of planning by the university, called UNAM, and partners […]

When we go to a job interview, do public speaking, or go on a first date, some of us may begin to get sweaty palms, shaky knees, and fast heartbeats as our minds become filled with a continuous stream of negative thoughts that worry us. Worrying drains and wastes our energy, and scatters our thinking, […]

The University of Namibia has admitted its first batch of students into a new masters degree programme in gender and development studies, kindling hope of new solutions to gender-related problems that include violence in which scores of women have been murdered. The degree follows three years of planning by the university, called UNAM, and partners […]

When we go to a job interview, do public speaking, or go on a first date, some of us may begin to get sweaty palms, shaky knees, and fast heartbeats as our minds become filled with a continuous stream of negative thoughts that worry us. Worrying drains and wastes our energy, and scatters our thinking, […]

“Sleep apnea is more of a systemic and chronic disease than just something that happens when you’re sleeping,” said study author Dr. Neomi Shah, an associate director of the pulmonary sleep lab at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City reported by Philly. “It probably affects multiple different organs, so I would probably urge we […]

“Sleep apnea is more of a systemic and chronic disease than just something that happens when you’re sleeping,” said study author Dr. Neomi Shah, an associate director of the pulmonary sleep lab at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City reported by Philly. “It probably affects multiple different organs, so I would probably urge we […]

Wednesday, 21 May 2014

Today, Google Plus is filled to the rim with communities that encompass virtually every idea you could possibly imagine, but one thing the majority of them share in common is the fact that most fail to ever take off to begin with, and not without cause. Creating a community on Google Plus is one thing, […]

Today, Google Plus is filled to the rim with communities that encompass virtually every idea you could possibly imagine, but one thing the majority of them share in common is the fact that most fail to ever take off to begin with, and not without cause. Creating a community on Google Plus is one thing, […]

Sunday, 18 May 2014

Google has not, and probably will never, announce that Google+ will be “sunsetted” (the company’s favorite euphemism for killed off). But the Internet giant might as well have this week when the guy who has been running Google+ since day one said he’s leaving. Evidence is piling up outside Mountain View that while Google+ isn’t […]

Google has not, and probably will never, announce that Google+ will be “sunsetted” (the company’s favorite euphemism for killed off). But the Internet giant might as well have this week when the guy who has been running Google+ since day one said he’s leaving. Evidence is piling up outside Mountain View that while Google+ isn’t […]

Thursday, 15 May 2014

Preschool students are more likely to experience intense feelings of sadness or aggression if their teachers suffer from depression, a new study finds. To better understand teachers’ roles in molding young kids’ behavior patterns, the group of researchers collected data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. This study has collected information on single-parent […]

Preschool students are more likely to experience intense feelings of sadness or aggression if their teachers suffer from depression, a new study finds. To better understand teachers’ roles in molding young kids’ behavior patterns, the group of researchers collected data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. This study has collected information on single-parent […]

Monday, 12 May 2014

Blended learning in distance education: Sri Lankan perspective Authors: Tharindu R Liyanagunawardena, University of Reading, UK Andrew A Adams, Meiji University, Japan Naz Rassool, University of Reading, UK Shirley A Williams, University of Reading, UK The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of online learning in distance educational delivery at Yellow Fields […]

Blended learning in distance education: Sri Lankan perspective Authors: Tharindu R Liyanagunawardena, University of Reading, UK Andrew A Adams, Meiji University, Japan Naz Rassool, University of Reading, UK Shirley A Williams, University of Reading, UK The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of online learning in distance educational delivery at Yellow Fields […]

Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Social media can give entrepreneurs the same opportunity to build community and engage customers as their better funded competitors. But when time and resources are limited, it’s crucial to laser focus social-media efforts to achieve goals: Do you want to drive sales, generate qualified leads, build relationships with current customers and bloggers in your industry? […]

Social media can give entrepreneurs the same opportunity to build community and engage customers as their better funded competitors. But when time and resources are limited, it’s crucial to laser focus social-media efforts to achieve goals: Do you want to drive sales, generate qualified leads, build relationships with current customers and bloggers in your industry? […]

Monday, 21 April 2014

The phenomenon has long been known in psychology: traumatic experiences can induce behavioural disorders that are passed down from one generation to the next. It is only recently that scientists have begun to understand the physiological processes underlying hereditary trauma. “There are diseases such as bipolar disorder, that run in families but can’t be traced […]

The phenomenon has long been known in psychology: traumatic experiences can induce behavioural disorders that are passed down from one generation to the next. It is only recently that scientists have begun to understand the physiological processes underlying hereditary trauma. “There are diseases such as bipolar disorder, that run in families but can’t be traced […]

Sunday, 20 April 2014

ALISON CEO and Founder Mike Feerick spoke on his ideas about how online learning is influencing universities at the US Embassy’s conference, ‘Smart People, Smart Economy’ in Dublin on April 3rd 2014. Watch Mike’s session to find out how universities can meet the needs of future students by focusing on popular aspects of MOOCs such […]

ALISON CEO and Founder Mike Feerick spoke on his ideas about how online learning is influencing universities at the US Embassy’s conference, ‘Smart People, Smart Economy’ in Dublin on April 3rd 2014. Watch Mike’s session to find out how universities can meet the needs of future students by focusing on popular aspects of MOOCs such […]

Saturday, 19 April 2014

The online and offline world of your business should be one cohesive experience that meshes together well. Both your online store and offline locations can help support one another in a variety of ways, but approaching each store separately will limit the full potential of your business, missing out on key opportunities. Last year and […]

The online and offline world of your business should be one cohesive experience that meshes together well. Both your online store and offline locations can help support one another in a variety of ways, but approaching each store separately will limit the full potential of your business, missing out on key opportunities. Last year and […]

Thursday, 17 April 2014

Between believing that all of our Facebook friends live better lives than us — their pictures don’t really capture everything — and getting cheated on through Facebook, it’s no surprise that more and more younger people are ditching it for other social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. Further proving Facebook’s negative effects on the […]

Between believing that all of our Facebook friends live better lives than us — their pictures don’t really capture everything — and getting cheated on through Facebook, it’s no surprise that more and more younger people are ditching it for other social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. Further proving Facebook’s negative effects on the […]

Wednesday, 16 April 2014

What does it take to have the best memory in the United States? Only four and a half years of training, for five hours each day, according to three-time national memory champ Nelson Dellis. Dellis just won the 2014 USA Memory Championship on March 29 in New York City, where he bested his own national […]

What does it take to have the best memory in the United States? Only four and a half years of training, for five hours each day, according to three-time national memory champ Nelson Dellis. Dellis just won the 2014 USA Memory Championship on March 29 in New York City, where he bested his own national […]

Monday, 14 April 2014

Rates of autism spectrum disorder ASD are not creeping up so much as leaping up. New numbers just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that one in 68 children now has a diagnosis of ASD—a 30 percent increase in just two years. In 2002, about one in 150 children was considered […]

Rates of autism spectrum disorder ASD are not creeping up so much as leaping up. New numbers just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that one in 68 children now has a diagnosis of ASD—a 30 percent increase in just two years. In 2002, about one in 150 children was considered […]

Saturday, 1 March 2014

theglobeandmail.com - Uganda’s new anti-gay law is costing the East African country millions of dollars in lost foreign aid. The law imposing harsh penalties for homosexuality, which President Yoweri Museveni signed on Monday, has been met by waves of protests from rights groups and pointed criticism from Western governments and the United Nations. Uganda’s Museveni signs anti-gay bill, defying donors, Washington. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

Saturday, 22 February 2014

blogs.kqed.org - There’s no shortage of different opinions about how the education system should adapt to a shifting world and a future with unknown demands, but for the most part, only two dominant narratives of education reform have emerged. “The predominant narrative is that schools are broken,” said veteran educator and author Will Richardson recently at a gathering of teachers at Educon . “Our test scores aren’t great and kids aren’t learning what they need to be successful.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

medicalxpress.com - (HealthDay)—Higher consumption of coffee is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the February issue of Diabetes Care . Ming Ding, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the literature and performed a meta-analysis of 28 prospective cohort or nested case-control studies. The authors sought to assess the effect of coffee consumption on risk of type 2 diabetes .

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

medicalxpress.com - (HealthDay)—Telemedicine offers a potential solution to the increased demand for physician-patient interaction, according to a report from a recent forum. The forum was hosted by the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, and the results of the discussion were published by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Noting that implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is leading to increased demand for physician-patient interaction, forum panelists highlighted the potential of telemedicine as a solution.

Sunday, 16 February 2014

slate.com - In the past few years, the science of Internet trollology has made some strides. Last year, for instance, we learned that by hurling insults and inciting discord in online comment sections, so-called Internet trolls (who are frequently anonymous) have a polarizing effect on audiences, leading to politicization, rather than deeper understanding of scientific topics. That’s bad, but it’s nothing compared with what a new psychology paper has to say about the personalities of trolls themselves.

online.wsj.com - Fitbit, a maker of wristbands that track physical fitness, says it is "helping people lead healthier, more active lives." But complaints continue to mount from users who say Fitbit's newest product, the Force band, is causing blisters, rashes and itchy dry patches on their wrists. User forums on Fitbit.com, the website of the San Francisco company that also makes other wearable devices, include hundreds of comments about skin problems from wearers of the $129 Force.

businessinsider.com - It's been four long years since Apple released the original iPad. Investors, and consumers, are getting restless. They want a new category-defining product from the company that reinvented the MP3 player with the iPod, the mobile phone with the iPhone, and the personal computer with the iPad. So, what's it going to be? All signs point to Apple tackling the watch for its next major piece of brand new hardware.

Thursday, 13 February 2014

gizmag.com - Imagine if it were possible to send tiny machines into living cells, where they could deliver medication, perform ultra-micro surgery, or even destroy the cell if needed. Well, we've recently come a little closer to being able to do so. Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have successfully inserted "nanomotors" into human cells, then remotely controlled those motors within the cells. The nanomotors are described as "rocket-shaped metal particles," and they're propelled by externally-delivered ultrasonic waves.

Monday, 10 February 2014

abc.net.au - Updated February 08, 2014 01:19:34 Western Australia's Department of Water has told a state parliamentary inquiry it has no veto over fracking for natural gas below proclaimed groundwater areas such as rivers. But it says it would advise authorities against the approval of shale gas fracking underneath a major water source. The Water Department made the admission on the first day of the inquiry in the implications of hydraulic fracking, the fracturing of hard rock to release natural gas.

Sunday, 9 February 2014

edutopia.org - International educator Scot Hoffman is a big believer in the power of curiosity to drive learning. After nearly two decades of teaching around the globe, he also realizes that school isn't always so hospitable to inquiring minds. (As Einstein said, "It's a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.") That's why Hoffman has developed The Curiosity Project, a self-directed learning experience that engages students, parents, and teachers as collaborators in inquiry.

Saturday, 8 February 2014

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

foxnews.com - A drug aimed at eliminating symptoms in people with certain forms of autism is in the early stages of work, and animal studies show promise, researchers report. In experiments in mice and rats, the drug reversed the effects of a faulty mechanism during birth that might lead the offspring to develop autism, and alleviated the symptoms of autism that certain offspring would normally demonstrate, according to studies published Feb.

foxnews.com - A drug aimed at eliminating symptoms in people with certain forms of autism is in the early stages of work, and animal studies show promise, researchers report. In experiments in mice and rats, the drug reversed the effects of a faulty mechanism during birth that might lead the offspring to develop autism, and alleviated the symptoms of autism that certain offspring would normally demonstrate, according to studies published Feb.

foxnews.com - A drug aimed at eliminating symptoms in people with certain forms of autism is in the early stages of work, and animal studies show promise, researchers report. In experiments in mice and rats, the drug reversed the effects of a faulty mechanism during birth that might lead the offspring to develop autism, and alleviated the symptoms of autism that certain offspring would normally demonstrate, according to studies published Feb.

foxnews.com - A drug aimed at eliminating symptoms in people with certain forms of autism is in the early stages of work, and animal studies show promise, researchers report. In experiments in mice and rats, the drug reversed the effects of a faulty mechanism during birth that might lead the offspring to develop autism, and alleviated the symptoms of autism that certain offspring would normally demonstrate, according to studies published Feb.

foxnews.com - A drug aimed at eliminating symptoms in people with certain forms of autism is in the early stages of work, and animal studies show promise, researchers report. In experiments in mice and rats, the drug reversed the effects of a faulty mechanism during birth that might lead the offspring to develop autism, and alleviated the symptoms of autism that certain offspring would normally demonstrate, according to studies published Feb.

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

timeshighereducation.co.uk - How does a tiny institution create such outsized impact? I always refer to Caltech’s small size as being very similar to the size effect that exists in materials - there are special properties that exist when you are extremely small If one were to reduce the story of the California Institute of Technology to numbers, it would be difficult to know where to start. It is 123 years old, boasts 57 recipients of the US National Medal of Science and 32 Nobel laureates among its faculty and alumni (including five on the current staff).

Friday, 7 February 2014

Securing employment is becoming increasingly difficult. But there are at least two routes to a postdoctoral research career. The first is to develop a research proposal and then seek funding for it. The advantage of this option is that you can seek answers to questions that you thought about during your PhD training but never had the time to pursue. The second route is to apply for an advertised job and work on someone else's project. The advantage of this is that you will learn different perspectives, methodologies and techniques. So I find myself at a junction, with an important choice to make. Do I take the blue pill and extend my research? Or do I take the red pill and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes?

Thursday, 6 February 2014

fastcoexist.com - As standing desk enthusiasts will constantly remind you, sitting down in front of a screen all day is terrible for your body. It's difficult to not hunch over just a little bit, adding all sorts of strain to your back. Wearable health tech company Lumo calls the cluster of symptoms related to interacting with technology all day--eye strain, back pain, neck pain, headaches-- Silicon Valley Syndrome .

Sunday, 2 February 2014

theguardian.com - 'British higher education sector is in crisis mode and those chosen to oversee this crisis are recruited from the private sector.' Photograph: Alice Bell As an early-career lecturer in a post-1992 university, I often feel like a rare bird in an ornate cage struggling to maintain its dignity in a discount superstore filled with pets. This bird knows it could have been a proud representative of a noble lineage and chirrups dolefully as it ruffles its plumes, but the song is drowned out by the bustling sale of cheap, plastic imitation bird-objects around it.

Friday, 31 January 2014

medicalxpress.com - Researchers at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem have created a molecule that could potentially lower diabetic patients' higher risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Recent studies indicate that high levels of sugar in the blood in diabetics and non-diabetics are a risk factor for the development of dementia, impaired cognition, and a decline of brain function. Diabetics have also been found to have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to non-diabetics.

Thursday, 30 January 2014

scientificamerican.com - Bacterial 'superbugs' are getting ever more potent. Tuberculosis (TB) strains in Russia carry mutations that not only make them resistant to antibiotics but also help them to spread more effectively, according to an analysis of 1,000 genomes from different TB isolates — one of the largest whole-genome study of a single bacterial species so far. TB, which is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis , exploded in Russia and other former Soviet nations in the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and its health system.

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

medicalxpress.com - (Medical Xpress)—A chemical that's found in fruits and vegetables from strawberries to cucumbers appears to stop memory loss that accompanies Alzheimer's disease in mice, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered. In experiments on mice that normally develop Alzheimer's symptoms less than a year after birth, a daily dose of the compound—a flavonol called fisetin—prevented the progressive memory and learning impairments.

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

theguardian.com - The software scans communications for acronyms such as ‘gnoc’ and ‘dirl’ as well as conventional vocabulary used in bullying. Photograph: redsnapper/Alamy More than a thousand British schools are monitoring pupils' online communication for bullying and self-harm using software that analyses and translates slang for teachers. The software uses a constantly updated dictionary which includes words that most adults would not understand.

timeshighereducation.co.uk - Most major research universities view their international standing as a vital part of their strategic plans. With powerful global networks universities can find the best academic talent, attract the brightest students and produce collaborative, innovative research that exploits the resources of multiple institutions and tackles matters of global concern. Times Higher Education has compiled a list of the top 25 most international universities using the “international outlook” indicator from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings .

timeshighereducation.co.uk - Most major research universities view their international standing as a vital part of their strategic plans. With powerful global networks universities can find the best academic talent, attract the brightest students and produce collaborative, innovative research that exploits the resources of multiple institutions and tackles matters of global concern. Times Higher Education has compiled a list of the top 25 most international universities using the “international outlook” indicator from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings .

medicalnewstoday.com - Men are frequently accused of forgetting birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and even something as simple as taking the trash out. But they have developed this stigma for a reason, a new study suggest - it found that men are more forgetful than women, regardless of their age. The research team, led by Prof. Jostein Holmen of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, published the study findings in the journal BMC Psychology .

Monday, 27 January 2014

edx.org - For decades, the World Economic Forum has enabled leaders in business, policy and academia to meet and learn from one another at events held in Davos, Switzerland and many other locations around the world. These gatherings have provided the setting for an exchange of ideas that have helped set the direction for solutions to critical global problems. Now, with the creation of Forum Academy , the World Economic Forum (WEF) will provide a much wider audience with the opportunity to participate in a discussion addressing global, regional and industry challenges through courses created using the cutting-edge platform and tools innovated by edX.

Sunday, 26 January 2014

sciencedaily.com - Jan. 20, 2014 — What happens to our cognitive abilities as we age? If your think our brains go into a steady decline, research reported this week in the Journal Topics in Cognitive Science may make you think again. The work, headed by Dr. Michael Ramscar of Tübingen University, takes a critical look at the measures usually thought to show that our cognitive abilities decline across adulthood. Instead of finding evidence of decline, the team discovered that most standard cognitive measures, which date back to the early twentieth century, are flawed.

Saturday, 25 January 2014

sciencedaily.com - Jan. 20, 2014 — The development of physical aggression in toddlers is strongly associated with genetic factors and to a lesser degree with the environment, according to a new study led by Eric Lacourse of the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital. Lacourse's worked with the parents of identical and non-identical twins to evaluate and compare their behavior, environment and genetics.

futuregov.asia - Minister for Justice Michael Keenan launched the Emergency+ app last month that allows users to give emergency call operators their exact location by longitude and latitude. According to Australian Federal Police , over 66 per cent of callers to emergency numbers are from mobile phones. Many callers are unable to tell officers their exact location. Moreover, many people use the Triple Zero (000) number when they should really be calling other numbers, such as the Police Assistance Line (131444) the State Emergency Service (132500), Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000), the National Relay Service (106) and Health Direct Australia (1800 022 222).

Friday, 24 January 2014

medicalxpress.com - Excess abdominal fat can be a precursor to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. A person's measure of belly fat is reflected in the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference, and it is estimated that genetics account for about 30-60 percent of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Kira Taylor, Ph.D., M.S., assistant professor, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, and her research team have identified five new genes associated with increased WHR, potentially moving science a step closer to developing a medication to treat obesity or obesity-related diseases.

bulletin.sciencebusiness.net - Speaking at the launch of the centre this week, Brad Smith, Executive Vice President for Legal and Corporate Affairs at Microsoft, said the company is committed to participating in the development of skills for the ICT sector and pointed to the increasing number of ICT positions that remain unfilled. Between 2006 and 2010 there was a 10 per cent fall in the number of ICT graduates across Europe – and this at a time when youth unemployment was increasing rapidly.

Thursday, 23 January 2014

theguardian.com - Australian scientists have stumbled upon a "simple" way to dramatically reduce the damage caused by a heart attack. They say the new method could transform the treatment of heart attack patients, and could also help people with multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. The key to the treatment is for doctors to inject synthetic microparticles into the patient's bloodstream within 24 hours of a heart attack.

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

huffingtonpost.com - A relative recently told me about her year-old granddaughter's first three words. "She can say 'mama,' 'dada' and 'iPad', "she reported. Have iPads become the new "babas"? Certainly iPads and similar tablet devices has become far more ubiquitous in young children's lives than ever. In a Fall 2013 study, Common Sense Media reported that while only 8% of American families with children between the ages of 0-8 had some kind of tablet in 2011, just two years later about 40% did.